Bale-band buckle.



N0.-872,9e9. yPATENTED DBG.3,1907. J. s. PATTERSON & D. E. SMITH.

BALB BAND BUCKLE.

APPLIGATION FILED D110. 5, 190e.

\\` 1 z z umMNIIIL I UNTTE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES S. PATTERSON AND DALLAS E. SMITH, OF ABILENE,` TEXAS.

BAILE-BAND BUCKLE.

Patented Dec. 3, 1907'.

Application filed December 5` 1906. Serial No. 346,478.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES S. PATTERSON and DALLAS E. SMITH, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Abilene, in the county of Taylor and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bale-Band Buckles, of which the following is such a full, clear, and exact description as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to buckles for tightening the bands around cotton bales and other bundles and consists in certain novel features hereinafter iirst fully described and then particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which lfully illustrate our invention, Figure l is a perspective view of the buckle with the ends of the band or strap engaged therein and showing the devicelin the position assumed before the band is tightened. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section showing the buckle in the position assumed afterV tightening the band and indicating by dotted lines the position of the strap when locked Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are plan views showing the several successive positions in the operation of locking the strap, Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the buckle and Fig. 7 is an end view of the same.

The buckle consists of an open integral frame having the side bars, l, the cross bars, 2, and the inturned ends, 3, which meet and slightly overlap but are separated to provide an opening or slit, 4. The cross bars 2 eX- tend between the side bars at one end of the same and at a point near the center thereof, as clearly shown, and constitute fulcrum pins around which the ends of the band are bent or wrapped as shown in Figs. l and 2. The side bars diverge slightly in both directions from the inner cross bar so as to accommodate the lateral movement of the device.

on the strap in the locking operation and the inturned overlapping ends 3 of the side bars are slightly beveled or tapered, as clearly shown in Fig. 6, to facilitate the passage of the strap through the slit 4 or passage between the said ends.

In practice, the ends of the loose band are turned around the cross bars of the buckle with the buckle in the position shown in Fig.

1. The slitted end of the buckle is then raised and the buckle is swungover to` the position shown in Fig. 2, the buckle thus acting as a lever to pull the end 5 of the band over beyond the end 6 thereof, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The end 6 of the band Will then be lying beneaththe buckle and the buckle might be loosened by a lateral blow but we avoid such displacement inthe manner illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 as follows The buckle is shifted slightly laterally at its slitted end so as to bring the opening or slit 4 into the plane of the end 6 of the band as indicated in Fig. 3, after which we move the buckle in the reverse direction laterally to cause the band to pass through the slit and the smaller tapered end of the buckle to ride under the band as shown in Fig. 4; then nally a slight lateral movement of the buckle will bring the slit entirely under the band, as shown in Fig. 5, in which position the device will be iirmly held in position and the band will be locked tightly around the bale or bundle the end 6 of the band passing over the end of the buckle, as indicated in dotted lines'in Fig. 2, and holding the same firmly against the bale. In order that the lateral movement of the buckle may be effected easily and without causing a displacement of the band with respect to the bale, the side bars of the buckle are made to diverge in both directions from the inner cross bar as plainly shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5.

It will be readily seen that our device is very simple in its construction and may be readily manipulated so as to lock the band on the bale without the use of any extraneous tools or additional locks.

I-Iaving thus described our invention, whatl we claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is :h

1. A bale band buckle consisting of side bars turned in at one end to form separated overlapping ends, a cross bar connecting the opposite ends of the side bars, and a second cross bar connecting the side bars near their centers, the side bars diverging slightly in both directions from said central cross bar.

2. The improved bale band buckle consisting of side bars connected by a cross bar at one end and having their opposite ends turned in and overlapped, the said overlapped ends being tapered and separated, and an inter1nespeeicaton in the presence of tWo subscribdate erss balr connecting the sd barns being Witnesses. 10 tween t e ens thereof, the Gross ars eing arranged to be engaged by and Garry the /SON' 5 band and the overlallped tapered ends being arranged to permit t e buckle to pass under Witnesses: the tightened band. W. B. LEWIS,

In testimony whereof, We have signed this W. G. SWEN SON. 

